Ville Haapasalo is a Finnish actor extremely popular in Russia after he moved there in the early 90s and performed in several local comedy films, acting as a "stereotypical Finn". He was relatively unknown in Finland until this travelogue, made for the Finnish Public Broadcasting Company YLE, was broadcast.
This ("Venäjän halki 30 päivässä"/"Across the Russia in 30 days") is the first part of the series of travel documentaries by Haapasalo that all follow the same format: He explores some aspect of Russia/Ex-Soviet Union "in 30 days", traveling light only with his cameraman and utilizing his celebrity status to get into unusual and off the beaten path places.
In this one, he boards the Trans-Siberian Express in Moscow and stops in places like Jekaterinburg, Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, eventually arriving in Vladivostok. He meets the famous Russian wrestler Alexander Karelin, sees the Victory Day parade, consults a shaman, goes to a Buddhist monastery, visits a Russian Navy sailing ship and explores the blight of Chinese guest workers in Habarovsk.
The travelogue is very well presented and while Haapasalo isn't a historian, sociologist or an academic of any kind, he manages to bring forth the general sentiment present in the less-well-known parts of Russian Federation.
In the various follow-up series, Haapasalo and his cameraman Ossi Käki, travel across the ancient Silk Road ("Silkkitie 30 päivässä"), visit the Finnic peoples living in Russia ("Suomensukuiset 30 päivässä"), travel across the coast of Arctic Sea all the way to Bering Strait ("Jäämeri 30 päivässä"), see the Caucasus nations like Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan ("Kaukasia 30 päivässä") and finally travel the longest river in Europe, Volga ("Volga 30 päivässä").
